Marine velocipede.



No. 637,547. Y Patented Nov. 2|, |899. C. CLARK.

MARINE VELOCIPEDE.

(Application filed Au 23 1899.]

'No Model.)

UNITED STATES Armar Fries,

CHARLES CLARK, OF TORONTO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALEXANDER H. CANNING, OF SAME PLACE.

MARINE VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,547, dated November 21, 1899. Application filed August 23, 1899. Serial. No. 728,223. (No model.)

T0 all wle/)m it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, CHARLES CLARK, a sub# ject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Toronto, in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and useful Marine Velocipede, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to marine velocipedes of that class in which the buoyant member or boat is composed of a pair of hollow cylinders, forming a catamaran, and in which the seat and propelling mechanism are supported by a tubular frame analogous to that employed in ordinary bicycle construction.

The object of the invention is to render more simple, durable, and efficient the con? struction of the frame connecting the floats and supporting the seat or saddle as well as the propelling` and steering apparatus.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated in perspective my marine velocipede complete.

Referring to the numerals of reference on said drawing, 1 and 2 indicate a pair of floats retained in parallel relation by transverse tubular cross-bars 3, 4, and 5, secured in any' suitable manner, but preferably by terminal Wing-nuts 6 6, &c. The iloats 1 and 2 may be of any desired construction, but are preferably hollow metal cylinders having conical or pointed ends 7, designed to oppose theleast possible resistance to the propulsion of the device.

8 and 9 indicate tie-rods passing from the opposite ends of the cross-bar 5 to the center of the bar 4, to which they are connected by an eye 10. The ends of tie-rods are preferably fastened or clamped under the ends of the bar 5, but may be secured in any desired manner, the purpose of these bars being to retain the oats rigidly in their proper relative positions.

11 indicates a saddle designed for the support of the rider and carried by a tubular frame comprising a front fork 12, coupled to the bar 3 by T-fittings 13 and from which rises the head 14, connected by la coupling 15 with the upper reach 16, fitting, as in ordinary bicycle constructions, into a seat-post cluster 17. From the seat-post cluster diverge downwardly rear-fork members or standards 18,

terminating at the opposite ends of the crossbar 4 and preferably secured in place bythe Wing-nuts 6.

' 19 indicates the scat-post, extending from 'the cluster 17 tothe crank-hanger 20,located and rearwardly from the crank-hanger to the horizontal plane of the cross bars, thence terminating in a horizontal portion 25, midway between the floats, and terminally connected to the cross-bar 5 by a four-way itting 26.

27 indicates a brace coupled to the seatpost and to the shaft-supporting bar at a point above the bend of the latter.

28 indicates a crank shaft mounted, as usual, in the crank-hanger and provided with ped al-cranks 29 and a bevel-gear 30. The gear 30 is arranged to mesh with a pinion 31, carried at the upper end of a power-shaft 32, supported parallel with the inclined portion of the shaft-supporting bar by a twin-tube bracket 33, depending from the bar 24 at a point intermediate of the seat-post and the lower end of the brace 27.

34 indicates the propeller-shaft, mounted horizontally at a sufficient distance below the horizontal end 25 of the bar 24 by means of a drop-tube bracket 35, supported by the end 25 of the bar 24 and constituting an elongated journal for said shaft.

Any suitable means for connecting the propeller-shaft may be employed, but I prefer a universal joint 3G, as shown.

37 indicates the propeller carried at the rear end of the propeller-shaft and beyond which is locateda rudder 38, the post 39 of which depends from a socket 40, carried by a short tube 41, extending rearwardly from the four-way fitting 26 in alinement with the rear end of the shaft-supporting bar.

42 indicates the usual tiler-bar, connected to the rudder and from the opposite ends of which extend forwardly the crossed rudderbars 43,pivoted at their forward ends to ayoke 44 at the lower end of the handle-bar post 45,

ICO

extending through the head l-t and provided upon its upper end with the handle-bar 4G.

In operation a person seated upon the saddle l1 rotates the crank-shaft by means ofthe pedals, thereby communicating rotary motion to the propeller through the propeller-shaft, powershaft,and the gears intermediate of the latter and the crank-shaft. The guiding of the velocipede is effected by the simple turning of the handle-bars, resulting in the shifting of the rudder in a manner which will be obvious.

l. In a marine velocipede, the combination with opposite iioats, and cross-bars connecting the same, of a rider-supporting frame, driving mechanism provided upon the frame, a downwardly-inclined drive-shaft, a horizontal propeller-shaft connected to the driveshaft,a downwardly-inclined drive-shaft-supporting bar, a horizontal propeller-shaft-supporting bar, bearing-brackets pendent from the supporting-bars and receiving the respective drive and propeller shafts, a rudder carried by the propeller-shaft-supporting bar, and steering mechanism carried by the frame.

2. In a marine velocipede, the combination with opposite floats, and cross-bars connecting the same, of a rider-supporting frame, comprising front and rear forks supported upon respective cross-bars, upper and lower reach-bars connecting the forks, drive mechanism carried by the frame, a downwardly and rearwardly inclined drive-shaft, a horizontal propeller-shaft connected to the rear end of the drive-shaft, a downwardly-inclined supporting-bar located above the drive-shaft and connected to the frame, a horizontal supporting-bar located above the propeller-shaft and connected to the rear end of the inclined support and also to the rear cross-bar, brackets pendent from the supporting-bars and carrying the respective drive and propeller shafts, a rudder carried by ldie rear end of the horizontal supporting-bar,rudder connections running forward from the rudder,asteer ing-head carried by the front fork and operatively connected to the rudder connections, and 'means for operating the steering-head.

In a marine Velocipede, the combination with supporting-floats, of a frame comprising a front fork, a head rising therefrom, an upper reach, a seat-post cluster supporting one end of the reach, diverging tubular members extending from the seat-post cluster to the floats, a crank-hanger, a seat-post and a lower reach extending respectively from the crank-hanger to the seat-post cluster and front-fork cluster, an angulaishaft-supporting bar extending from the crank-hanger and having a horizontal extremity, a cross-bar carried by the float and supporting the sl'iaftsupporting bar, a twin-tube coupling adjacent to the upper end of the shaft-supporting bar, a power-shaft journaled in said coupling, a drop-tube coupling carried by the horizontal end of the shaftsupporting bar, a propeller-shaft journaled in said coupling and connected with the power-shaft by a universal joint, and steering mechanism supported by the frame.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto alixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHAS. CLARK.

lVitnesses:

WILLIAM DOUGLAS, BosvILLE PLACE. 

